It is generally known to manufacture heat or infrared radiation absorbing soda-lime-silica glass by the incorporation therein of iron. The iron is generally present in the glass as both ferrous oxide (FeO) and ferric oxide (Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3). The balance between ferrous and ferric oxide has a direct and material effect on the color and transmittance properties of the glass. As the ferrous oxide content is increased (as a result of chemically reducing ferric oxide), the infrared absorption increases and the ultraviolet absorption decreases. The shift toward a higher concentration of FeO in relation to the Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 also causes a change in the color of the glass from a yellow or yellow-green to a darker green or blue-green, which reduces the visible transmittance of the glass. Therefore, in order to obtain greater infrared absorption in glass without sacrificing visual transmittance, it has been deemed necessary in the prior art to produce glass with a low total iron content which is highly reduced from Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 to FeO.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,059 discloses an ultraviolet absorbing glass composition, having a low total iron concentration, which is described as superior in visible light transmittance to the greenish-blue glasses generally used in automotive and architectural glazings. The maximum iron content is 0.6% by weight, in order for the glass to maintain its colorless appearance and high visible light transmittance. Titanium dioxide, and up to 0.5% by weight ceric oxide, are added to the glass for the purpose of providing ultraviolet radiation absorption.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,936,231 discloses a colorless glass, wherein ferric oxide is added as an ultraviolet radiation cut-off agent in quantities so small that the resultant glass retains its high visible light transmittance. The suggested total iron content is approximately 0.35% by weight. The patent further discloses that cerium compounds may be added, as ultraviolet radiation cut-off agents, to low total iron containing glass compositions. Thus, the resultant glass compositions retain their colorless appearance and high visible light transmittance properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,536 discloses a process for producing an infrared energy absorbing glass, containing a total iron concentration which is highly reduced to FeO. It is further disclosed that the infrared energy absorption can be increased by including greater amounts of total iron in the glass composition, but states that the visible light transmittance would thereby be reduced below levels considered adequate for automotive glazings. The disclosed process utilizes a two stage melting and refining operation, which provides highly reducing conditions so as to increase the amount of iron in the ferrous state for a given total iron concentration of from 0.45% to 0.65% by weight. The patent teaches that the iron must be at least 35% reduced to FeO. Most preferably, greater than 50% of the total iron content must be reduced to the ferrous state. It is further disclosed that 0.25% to 0.5% by weight of ceric oxide may be added to low total concentration, highly reduced iron containing glass compositions, for the purpose of absorbing ultraviolet radiation, as well as quantities of TiO.sub.2, V.sub.2 O.sub.5 and MoO.sub.3.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,133 discloses a green-colored heat absorbing glass which contains cerium oxide as an ultraviolet radiation absorbing component. In accordance with an alternative embodiment of this patent, a portion of the cerium oxide content may be replaced with a quantity of TiO.sub.2. The glass composition contains a relatively high total iron content, i.e., in the range of 0.7 to about 1.25 percent by weight.